1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a holder for a toroid coil and, more particularly, to a toroid holder that enables automated mounting of the toroid coil on a circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
Toroid coils are used in electrical circuits such as those provided on circuit boards. The shape of the toroid coil makes mounting of the coil on a circuit board and electrically connecting the coil in the circuit time consuming and difficult, especially when mounting is attempted by automated circuit board equipping machinery.
The use of a holder into which the coil is mounted and the addition of a vacuum pick up surface to the toroid coil holder has improved manufacturer's ability to use automated circuit board equipping machinery to install the toroid coils. A toroid coil is placed in a holder with a vacuum pick up surface. Then, an automated circuit board equipping machine with a vacuum pick up nozzle can engage the holder by the holder's vacuum pick up surface. The machine can then position the toroid and holder on a printed circuit board and mount the toroid in place. This process can be repeated with minimal human labor and a considerable savings in time and money.
Further considerations are necessary, however, to optimize toroid coil holder design and the installation process. These considerations include the size of the holder, structural integrity of the holder, stability of the coil within the holder, ease of installing the toroid coil in the holder, ease of accurately placing and mounting the toroid coil on the circuit board, strength of the mounting to the circuit board, the ability to machine mold the holder, and the ability of fluids to escape the holder during the rinsing procedure in circuit board manufacturing.